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H.R.7449 / 117th Congress

Digital Civil and Human Rights Act of 2022

Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in House · Apr 7, 2022

Digital Civil and Human Rights Act of 2022

This bill establishes prohibitions on the use of automated systems in a discriminatory manner.

Specifically, the bill prohibits (1) a federal agency, U.S. court, or state, local, or tribal government from using any automated decision system that has a disparate impact on the basis of race, national origin, color, religion, disability, or sex; or (2) the use of automated systems with bias by the Department of Defense. Each federal agency must maintain on its public website a bias data sheet for each automated decision system used by such agency with the potential for a disparate impact on such bases.

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The bill prohibits a respondent, in connection with the selection or referral of applicants or candidates for employment or promotion, from using any automated decision system that has a disparate impact on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

The bill prohibits places of public accommodation from using in their operations that affect commerce any decision system that has a disparate impact on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

The bill requires (1) the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to submit to Congress a report on the use within the intelligence community of automated decision systems with an adverse distinction based on race, religion, sex, health, age, or any other similar criteria; and (2) the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop, publish, and maintain standards for reporting bias in an automated decision system.

Read the summary on Congress.gov
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Who introduced it

Rep. Brown, Anthony G. [D-MD-4] · D–MD

Committees

  • Judiciary Committee
  • Intelligence (Permanent Select) Committee
  • Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  • Armed Services Committee
  • Education and Workforce Committee
  • Oversight and Government Reform Committee
2 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

  2. Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Armed Services, Science, Space, and Technology, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  3. Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Armed Services, Science, Space, and Technology, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  4. Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Armed Services, Science, Space, and Technology, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  5. Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Armed Services, Science, Space, and Technology, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  6. Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Armed Services, Science, Space, and Technology, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  7. Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Armed Services, Science, Space, and Technology, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  8. Introduced in House

  9. Introduced in House

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Jul 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze H.R.7449 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

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Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

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Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine H.R.7449 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

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